Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet Blu-ray Movie Review

The Cities of a Lost Child.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 7, 2017

Audio commentary tracks on Blu-ray releases can often be a hit or miss affair, but if you’d like an unabashedly entertaining “chat” with an actor, I’d heartily recommend Ron Perlman’s ripostes in the commentary on Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s The City of Lost Children (Jeunet himself is the other participant). As Jeunet, already stumbling due to his self confessed inability to speak English very well, starts talking about how hard the opening of City of Lost Children is to understand, Perlman kind of quietly offers a funny rejoinder. "Also the middle, and the ending," Perlman interjects without missing a beat. Since Perlman has obviously worked with Jean-Pierre Jeunet, it’s perhaps best to accept his insight into the frequently bizarre but just as often amazingly beautiful and whimsical cinematic worlds Jeunet has managed to create with a surprisingly small number of features to his credit. Most folks may recognize Jeunet’s name (if they recognize it at all, that is) from his celebrated Amélie , but the director is also responsible for the somewhat darker Delicatessen, as well as Micmacs and A Very Long Engagement (still sadly missing on domestic Blu-ray). If you’ve never seen a Jeunet film, there’s nothing quite like them, with an often staggering visual virtuosity blended (at least in several if not all of his films) with magical realist elements that border on the surreal at times. The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet would seem to be anchored in more of a down to earth reality than efforts like The City of Lost Children or Amélie, but that’s probably ultimately an illusion, since the film details the adventures of a ten year old wunderkind who has managed to create a perpetual motion machine and who takes off on a quixotic journey to receive a prize from the Smithsonian Institution. The film builds up to an unexpectedly emotional climax due to some subplots which will be detailed below (so spoiler warning for anyone not wanting some salient plot points to be revealed), but the film retains Jeunet’s breathtaking visual style while offering newcomer Kyle Catlett a great showcase as the titular young wizard of rural Montana.

Note: As noted above, some salient plot points are going to be at least hinted at below, so those wishing to avoid even potential spoilers are forewarned.

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet is just the latest in a long line of films I’ve reviewed which had a 3D theatrical release and which were granted 3D Blu-rays in some other regions, but which has made to the domestic market in only a 2D iteration. While there’s nothing too debilitating about this decision, it’s obvious from the get go that Jeunet designed many effects, including a charming “pop up” book that recurs at various points, to take advantage of image dimensionality. Jeunet’s visual whimsy also extends to a number of other elements, including some brief animations, what appears to be an origami forest, and a cute moment with T.S.’s sister Gracie (Niamh Wilson) where (in her mind) she’s cloned herself to debate her little brother’s stupidity in what amounts to a cerebral board meeting (the cloning aspect may remind some of The City of Lost Children).

That perceived “stupidity” has to do with the efforts by T.S. (Kyle Catlett) to invent a perpetual motion machine, something that seems to be odd for a kid living an idyllic rural existence on a huge ranch with his cowboy-esque father Tecumseh (Callum Keith Rennie), his entomologist mother Dr. Claire (Helena Bonham Carter), and non-identical twin brother Layton (Jakob Davies). The film details the gorgeous surroundings the Spivet live in, while also hinting at some kind of family dysfunction roiling just beneath the surface. Suffice it to say that while the twin aspect doesn’t exactly get into The Other territory, there’s a certain conceit at play that gives the film some of its most resonant emotional content.

When T.S. does indeed invent a functioning perpetual motion machine, he finds out he’s the recipient of an annual award supposedly granted by the Smithsonian Institution. In a moment of panic when the Smithsonian’s Mrs. Jibsen (Judy Davis) calls, T.S. states that it’s actually his father who invented the device, since he’s afraid the famous organization won’t allow a child to win, and also because he has to go to school and doesn’t think there’s any way for him to get to Washington, D.C. to accept in any case. That sets up the central predicament of the film, where T.S.’s “little white lies” begin to have a domino effect.

T.S. does of course set off for D.C., and the film becomes a rather thrilling travelogue of sorts as he journeys east (evidently Canada locations were used as substitutes for mid-United States locales). On the way he comes into contact with a number of interesting characters, though concerned parents may squirm a bit when T.S. willingly goes into closed spaces with a trainyard hobo (Jeunet regular Dominique Pinon) and later (and probably even more horrifyingly) a semi driver who has a collection of photos of all the hitchhikers he’s picked up.

The film coasts on the incredible charm of the winning Catlett, as well as Jeunet’s incredible visual sense. There are some narrative hiccups, though, especially in the third act. Davis’ Mrs. Jibsen seems to be a sweet surrogate mother for T.S., but then suddenly morphs into a kind of harridan with little or no motivation (other than necessary plot dynamics), and a similar transformation by a snarky television interviewer also seems dramatically underdeveloped.

Other elements are similarly glossed over, including a recurring vignette involving exploding toasters which is perfectly Jeunet-esque but which is never adequately explained. Also, a couple of tangential flashback vignettes just burst into the narrative at a couple of points without proper preparation (either narrative wise or in fact visually), which leads to momentary confusion as to what's going on. But for those who have acclimated themselves to the wacky and wonderful world of Jeunet’s films, The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet is a visual wonderland with some rather visceral emotional impact along the way.

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Starz / Anchor Bay with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. The film was shot with Arri Alexa cameras and was given a 3D release in at least some markets, but the Blu-ray offers only a 2D version. While it's obvious that some scenes were designed specifically to exploit "in your face" elements (see screenshot 8 for an example), generally speaking the 2D version suffices extremely well, especially considering the breathtaking visuals on display. Jeunet and cinematographer Thomas Hardmeier (a César winner for this film) lovingly detail the gorgeous scenery not just of the (supposed) Montana ranch where the Spivet family lives, but (later) the unbelievable scenery T.S. passes through on his way to our nation's capital. The image is consistently sharp and well detailed throughout the presentation, with excellent fine detail on display throughout many close-ups. Some relative softness intrudes with regard to some of the CGI, and there are a couple of brief scenes in dim lighting in an RV that T.S. hides out in that don't offer much in the way of shadow detail, but otherwise this is a really stunning looking presentation.

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet features a nicely immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, one which derives much of its surround activity from the glut of environmental effects that accompany T.S.'s unlikely journey. The rumble of the train he sneaks on to has some good panning effects, and when he ventures outside on several occasion, there's good attention paid to spatial placement of various sound effects. Dennis Sanacore's score also resides in the side and rear channels effectively. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly, with good prioritization.

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making Up the Spivet Family (1080p; 3:36) is a brief piece focusing on casting.


• Finding the Perfect T.S. (1080p; 3:55) centers on the adorable Kyle Catlett.


• Adapting Reif Larsen's Novel (1080p; 4:02) has some fun interchanges between Jeunet and Larsen.

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm a big fan of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, even when I can't ignore his tendency to indulge in certain excesses in both narrative approach and (especially) his visual sense. That may have made me more prone to like The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet than those not as enamored of this particular director, but that said, for those who either haven't experienced a Jeunet film or who aren't that impressed with him, this particular film might be the perfect place to start (or start over, as the case may be). The character of T.S. is almost instantly adorable, brought to life very winningly by an impressive Catlett, and the film, while a little bumpy here and there, is gorgeous to look at and, ultimately, quite touching. Technical merits are strong, and The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet comes Highly recommended.